Wagon-tongue support



(No Model.)

- J. BOWER.

WAGON TONGUE SUPPORT'.' No. 297,745. Patented A r. 29, 1s84.

v INVENTOR:

R A Q BY u ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS Phom-ljlhognpiur. Washinghn. n. c

' UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

JACOB BOWER, or LAFAYETTE, INDIANA.

WAGON-TONGUE SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,745, dated April 29, 1884.

Application filed December 21, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J A0013 BowER, of Lafayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State ofIndiana, have invented anew and Improved Front Wagon-Gear and Support for Wagon- Tongues, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the hounds, axle, and tongue of a wagon having-my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

The hounds A are fitted to an axle, B, of any ordinary construction, and the tongue 0 is pivoted between the inside hounds, a a, of the hounds A upon the bolt D. The inside hounds, a, reach back to the axle B. and under the sand-board B, where-they are held by for the tongue 0 and axle A, and strong supports for the sand-board B.

Upon the tongue 0 is pivoted the lozengeshaped button E. When this plate is turned so that its longest diameter stands in the line of the length of the tongue, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, it does not interfere with the free up-and-down movement of the tongue; but when turned crosswise of the tongue, as shown in dotted lines in saidfigure, it is adapted to strike at its ends upon the upper surfaces of the inside hounds, a a, of the hounds A, and thus support the tongue on a level with the hounds.

.To the under side of and parallel with the tongue 0 is secured the elliptical spring F, which is adapted to rest upon the chain G, held under the spring by eyed and hook f, secured to the under side of the inside hounds, a a, of the hounds A, the spring and chain being for the purpose of giving the tongue a spring-support either on a higher or lower level than the hounds A, the chain G being adapted to be adjusted by its links in thehook f, as circumstances require, to effect this result. When the chain G is adjusted to hold the tongue 0 on a higher level than the hounds A, the plate E will be turned crosswise of the tongue 0, to prevent all danger of overpressure on the spring F and chain G, which might occur if rigid support were not presentto pre vent the tongue from being forced below the level of the hounds.

H is a hook-shaped plate attached to the under side of the spring F, for preventing the chain G from swinging or slipping out of position, as will be understood from Fig. 2.

' By the construction shown and described, it will be seen that the tongue 0 may be held by a rigid or spring support on a level with the -hounds A, or held on a higher or lower level,

if desired, thus taking the weight off from the necks of thehorses; or by unhooking the chain G the tongue may be dropped, if desired.

Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim I v as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the bolts a a, so that they form strong braces 1. In a wagon,the tongue 0, provided with the pivoted button E, arranged upon the upper side of the tongue and adapted to act in connection with the hounds, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The tongue'O, provided upon the under side with a spring having thehook H, in combination with the chain G, held by the hounds under the spring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The tongue 0, provided upon the upper side with the pivoted button E, in combination with the spring F, attached to the under side of the tongue, and the chain G, attached to the hook and eye 12 f, secured in thehounds of the wagon, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JACOB BOWER.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. PETTIT, ADAM O. BEHM. 

